Femi Fani-kayode bags N200k fine for his absence in court over the allerge N4.6bn fraud~details

 Femi Fani-Kayode former president Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign team who was arraigned in court along side Nenadi Usman, a former minister of state for finance; others listed as defendants are Danjuma Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited.

They were arraigned on a 17-count charge containing an alleged money laundering and diversion of N4.9 billion, before Hassan, the presiding judge, on June 28, 2016.

But Femi Fani-Kayode absence in court to take his plea for the alleged 4.6 billion fraud has attracted a N200,000 fine by the federal high court in Ikoyi, Lagos state 

They were arraigned on a 17-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of N4.9 billion, before Muslim Hassan, the presiding judge, on June 28, 2016.

At the middle of the trial Fani-Kayode required that he doesn’t feel comfortable to be tried by the presiding judge Hassan, after which the case file was then transferred to another judge.

At the verge of commencement for the trial, Aikawa the new judge was later transferred to another jurisdiction of the court, and the case file was then transferred to a new judge, Daniel Osiagor, for the recommencement of the trial.

At the resumed sitting on Wednesday, Bilikisu Buhari, prosecution counsel, told the court that the trial was to start recommence.

However, Fani-Kayode, who is the second defendant, did not appear in court to face his trial, the prosecution counsel, therefore, urged the court to revoke his bail.

In response to F.B. Ajudua, Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, told the court that his client was that is why he did not appear in court to face his trial,tl the lawyer then pleaded on behalf of his client for the court not to revoke the bail.

“A letter has been written on his behalf. He is currently on bed rest at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja,” he said.

“He has been attending his trial since the matter commenced in 2016. Today, my lord, is the only day that he is not in court.”

However, the judge who later granted his request after glancing at the court records and find out that Mr Kayode has been absent for Five times at the commencement of the trial in court.

The judge was left with no choice than to give two choices that either he revoke the bail or he fines him N200,000 for his five times absence in court which has retrained the smooth hearing of the charge.”

Mr Femi Fani-Kayode’s lawyer Ajudua accepted the offer for the option of fine, but the judge Osiagor ordered Fani-Kayode to pay a fine of N200,000, before the next adjourned date.

The trial was in later adjourned till November 30, 2021, for the re-arraignment of the defendants to court for the trial.